Archive for Kickstarter

“Lament for the Queen of Disks” was an unexpected work— gorgeously rapturous, mournful, yet determined— inspired by a tarot reading artist Eden Gallanter gave to me during the creation of her Cheimonette Tarot Deck. It was dusk. We sat on my living room rug.

I was going through a turbulent time— extreme heartbreak, confusion, feeling lost, discouraged and unsure of everything in my life. The Queen of Disks kept surfacing. Eden’s depiction of the Queen reminded me of 19th-century voodoo iconMarie Laveau. She seemed exotic and sad too. I felt a kinship with her. Lost souls always seem to find each other.
Eden told me:

“The Queen of Disks is a powerful woman (like the earth-mother), who has an endless stream of inspiration, ideas, energy and beauty to give (and whose power can never be taken away or undermined.) But she is disappointed in the misuse, misunderstanding— or denial of who she is and what she has to give. A part of the Queen of Disks is not appreciated, understood, or seen— and this is what she desires most of all.”

The Queen of Disks was me.

I was captivated with Eden’s exquisite colors and imagery. She kindly left the 78 original Tarot paintings in my care. That night I enveloped my studio with them and conjured this piece of music. The only thing I could call it was simply “Lament for the Queen of Disks.”
It became a sonic spell for melancholy souls…

Molded from my own face (talk about panic-inducing-hard-to-breathe endeavors) by SFX master Jonathan Horton, the mask scene became my favorite memory of the film shoot.

Making a mold of my face in Jonathan Horton’s SFX studio to create the Mona mask.

Watch this special behind the scenes video memoir of creating the Mona character, and just how we shot this wonderful creepy scene in Ice Cream Ants—plus my best maniacal laugh…

Transformation complete! The mask was carefully placed on my face during the scene to appear like I had turned into some sort of eerie erotic mannequin, I couldn’t see a thing.

Behind the Scenes: Jill Tracy on set with the legendary Tom Noonan (Heat, Last Action Hero, House of the Devil.)

On the set of Ice Cream Ants:Marcus Ashley and Jill Tracy

Ice Cream Ants went on to win several film festival awards, including the Dewar’s Grand Prize. (Yes, lots of complimentary scotch was delivered.)

The film features my song “Pulling Your Insides Out.” We shot the new music video for the tune— to include with Jeremy Carr’s new director’s cut which is now available for you online! Read about the making of the elegant nightmarish “Pulling Your Insides Out” in the midst of a New York lightning storm in an earlier BLOG!

Here it is: Ice Cream Ants

CAUTION— could be nightmare including…save it for a sweet bedtime tale.

I was recently sent some unpublished behind-the-scenes photos taken by Maeri Hedstrom and wanted to finally tell you the tale. Shooting the video for “Pulling Your Insides Out“ was a strange and magical affair…

Director Jeremy Carrenvisioned scenes of me walking down desolate mysterious alleyways in Red Hook, Brooklyn (once neighborhood of horror icon H.P. Lovecraft.) We had spent an already action-packed day shooting in front of jade velvet curtains in a mirrored piano studio, had taken a dinner break, ready to head down to Red Hook when all of a sudden the thunder struck. A freak unexpected storm— intense lightning and giant HAIL— in a matter of seconds had flooded the streets, ripped branches off trees onto cars, and New York quickly issued a strong traveler’s advisory. They cautioned everyone to stay put. You could hear people in the streets shouting.

I was looking forward to the alley scenes most of all. I imagined them being the noirish anchors of the entire erotic, nightmare-induced imagery. We sat devastated in Jeremy’s living room and listened to the hail pound. It was my last night in New York. We had to do it now or forgo the idea. Still unsure, we got in the van and made a slow, treacherous journey— pulling over several times, stopping, wondering how insane we really had to be to try to venture out in this weather in a vehicle full of crew and camera equipment. It took seemingly forever to get there. And then we just sat in the van, waiting. Not sure for what. We just waited, in the wee hours of night.

Suddenly the rain calmed. The hail stopped. It transformed into something balmy and invigorating. But because of the storm, the alley was full of puddles reflecting the moon and amber streetlights, ephemeral mist hung in the air, water gushed down gutters— and lightning still played in the sky! The Universe decided to give us a magnificent gift. We could not have imagined a more perfect set. I don’t think I’ve ever felt more grateful for anything.

Jeremy later interviewed me with some great unseen footage from the storm. Watch this video:

The crew worked under umbrellas as I walked through the rainy alley. That’s me with assistant director Dawn Fidrick.

The mist gave the lights and street this gorgeous dreamy glow. At one point, a police car approaches, curious as to why a spontaneous film shoot is going on in the rain at 2:30am. They began questioning us, but the cops actually ended up loving the song and thought it looked “really cool,” so they gave us their blessing, but warned not to stay too long.

FUN FACT: at 1:56 in the “Pulling Your Insides Out” video, you can see the police headlights swirl on the scene as they drive up while we were filming. Thanks NYPD! You made the scene even better…

The piano scenes were shot in a mirrored rehearsal room in Manhattan. I had no idea the piano was also acting as a mirror as the crew lit the scene.

Here’s what the room looked like once lights were set. Director Jeremy Carr gets some test footage.

The BW nightmare scenes were shot in Upstate New York — a decrepit old house in the woods full of trap doors and secrets. Much of it was shot on Super 8 film. The eerie and erotic bedroom scenes were shot at an apartment in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

Restless sleep amidst candles and shadows.

Talking to director Jeremy Carr on set in the bedroom. As you can see, we had hung brocade fabric on what were actually painted walls.

That’s a wrap! One of my favorite shots of all. The crew posed with me in front of the camera after we had successfully achieved our magical shoot in the late night storm. I remember just how completely quiet and warm it felt outside. We were totally exhausted— but giddy. From left: Maeri Hedstrom, Corey Boutilier, Me, director Jeremy Carr, Dawn Fidrick.

“Pulling Your Insides Out” is one of my proudest moments thus far in my career. Such a joy to work with the brilliant Jeremy Carr and such talented artists and friends. And it only makes me more honored to know it was funded partially by you through Kickstarter. If you have not seen the finished work, here it is below!
Please subscribe to my YouTube Channel so you won’t miss a thing.

“The truth lay in the treasure of what we disbelieve” —from Pulling Your Insides Out

The Kickstarter is ON! Click HERE to go to the main campaign page and show your support and grab some rewards. We need your help to finish this project! The campaign will only run until August 22, so act now if you’d like to be involved.

I can’t tell you how honored I am to work again with brilliant filmmaker Jeremy Carr, plus bring to life one of the favorite songs I have ever written. This video has already been shot, so this campaign is to enable Jeremy to edit, complete all post-production and digital transfer necessary.

Please WATCH THE VIDEO above to get a little backstory of how we met, and my adventures as the sinister seductress Mona in Jeremy’s surreal thriller Ice Cream Ants— (alongside Marcus Ashley (Laurel Canyon, Bones, CSI) and the legendary Tom Noonan (Heat, Last Action Hero, House of the Devil.)
After winning several film festival awards and accolades, Ice Cream Ants is slated to be released to the public for the first time with a new director’s cut. “Pulling Your Insides Out” is the end title song to the film, so Jeremy thought it befitting to create a new music video to coincide with its online release.

“Pulling Your Insides Out” has always been my favorite song on my album Diabolical Streak. In fact, that album has been getting quite the resurgence lately as Showtime Networks chose the track “Evil Night Together” as the campaign song promoting the wildly anticipated final season of Dexter.
So as they say— “everything old is new again.” It’s been thrilling for me to re-inhabit “Pulling Your Insides Out” and (with your kindness) unveil the beautifully eerie video it always deserved.

UPDATE: 7/22/13— Since this original post, Jill Tracy Kickstarter Campaign has launched and will be taking donations for this project for 30 days. Visit the Campaign Page HERE.

I can’t tell you how honored I am to work again with brilliant filmmaker Jeremy Carr, plus bring to life one of the favorite songs I have ever written. And for the first time, YOU can be an actual part of the process! We will be launching my debut Kickstarter campaign soon, so you will be able to participate, see sneak previews, snag rewards, and help us manifest this dark gem!

You may recall a few years ago, my adventures as the sinister seductress Mona in Jeremy’s surreal thriller Ice Cream Ants— (alongside Marcus Ashley (Laurel Canyon, Bones, CSI) and the legendary Tom Noonan (Heat, Last Action Hero, House of the Devil.)
Watch the original Ice Cream Ants trailer HERE.

A masked Jill Tracy turns into a mannequin in the sexy, surreal thriller Ice Cream Ants

After winning several film festival awards, grand prizes and accolades, Ice Cream Ants is slated to be released to the public for the first time with a new director’s cut this fall!“Pulling Your Insides Out“ is the end title song to the film, so Jeremy thought it befitting to create a new music video to coincide with its online release.

“Pulling Your Insides Out” has always been my favorite song on my album Diabolical Streak. In fact, that album has been getting quite the resurgence lately as Showtime Networks chose the track “Evil Night Together” as the campaign song promoting the wildly anticipated final season of Dexter.
I am “Dexter’s Final Symphony!“
So as they say— “everything old is new again.” It’s been thrilling for me to re-inhabit “Pulling Your Insides Out” and (with your kindness) unveil the beautifully eerie video it always deserved. This video has been shot (on location in New York City,) so this campaign is to enable Jeremy to edit, complete all post-production and digital transfer necessary.